Government, JACTO-GEO talks fail, to meet again today

Both the state minister and the opposition leader MK Stalin have requested the government employees not to initiate the strike at a time when Cyclone Gaja relief works are on.

The high-level meeting at the state Secretariat ended up with both the parties seeking one day’s time to respond. JACTO-GEO members demanded Minister Jayakumar to address some of the demands raised by the government employees.

To this, the senior AIADMK Minister, who also holds the portfolio of personnel and administrative reforms, said he would get back to the JACTO-GEO office-bearers after discussing the issue with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. To this the JACTO-GEO members responded that they would also consult the issue with the high-level committee and then come back for second round of discussions.

“The next discussion will be held on Saturday and we will declare our next move tomorrow,” a senior JACTO-GEO office-bearer told DT Next.

Section of transport employees, who participated in the meet, said that their demands were genuine and warned that they would launch the strike if the government fails to repay their pension and gratuity funds.

As many as 15 trade unions have planned to go on indefinite strike from next week. The employees had also been demanding long-pending dues, including the pension of retired employees and the arrears to be paid as per the wage revision over the past seven years. According to unconfirmed reports cheques to government transport workers are pending for more than Rs 7,000 crore. Government employees have also demanded reintroduction of the old pension scheme.

With elections to 20 Assembly seats and 39 Parliamentary seats scheduled next year, the opposition parties in the state have been also supporting the government employees, who have been protesting since last year for their dues.